My problems started at age 33, the summer after having my first son. I just turned 36, and had a SEVERE episode just a few days ago (due to lactose in medicine). (I always thought that it was the milk PROTEIN, not the milk sugar that affected me. I guess that's not the case.)

What have you found out about milk anaphylaxis? I've read somewhere that it is genetic, but neither of my parents had problems with milk.

How utterly frustrated do you feel about having to avoid so many foods, such as store-bought bread? I'm personally at my wits end about how many products I have to avoid, especially the high incidence of cross-contamination at restaurants and the conveyor belts at the supermarket. And what about library books? Should I avoid them because someone else could have had a milk product around it?

Valc,
So sorry to hear about your struggle. IT must be a real lifestyle switch. My yongest is ana to dairy, egg, fish, and nuts. I have found that you must find your own comfort level with how to manage your lifestyle. My youngest still gets books from the library, cross contamination is a real issue though with many foods. I never used to be much of a cook and we ate a lot of prepared/processed foods. Now we eat only homemade and have not eaten in a restaurant with my son in over a year. We make all of our own bread etc. It does eventually become just the way it is and although it is more challenging it certainly is a much more healthy lifestyle. As our family has so many food allergies we have learned to adapt many recipes, it can be done very successfully. If you need any cooking tips please just ask.
Stephanie

Thanks for your post. It is so nice having others to talk to on this forum that understand the daily challenges.

I guess I'm mostly frustrated about others not understanding about cross-contamination, or true allergies in general. We need to start a full-fledged cross-country campaign about the effects of allergens.

As for your recipes, please post them in the recipes section. I'd love a good bread recipe that I can eat!

Karen - Yes, I always substitute water for the milk in all recipes. I just need to find a bread recipe that is really good for sandwiches and toast.

Lisa - I think it is very sad that there will never be a relief for us adults with serious allergies. I'd like to find out more about adult on-set allergies (ie. are there any commonalities between these people). Why do our bodies suddenly reject foods that we've eaten for years? I find it very interesting.

I don't think that they really know why suddenly people become allergic----there are so many factors.

Some things that I've read:

1) sometimes allergies develop after people are put on prescription reflux medications

2) stress can send the immune system into "allergic mode"---sometimes people develop allergies after a death in the family, an accident, etc.

3) sometimes it's just that pollen allergies get worse and worse leading to food allergies....but I don't think this would cause milk allergy...or allergy to fish or shellfish. nuts, though, cross react with pollens.

Anecdotal things that I've heard:

I've known people to develop food sensitivities/allergies (not sure which) after a major illness or after being exposed to high levels of pollution. Also, I think I read somewhere that people sometimes become allergic after a move (<=maybe this was in AL magazine...can't remember!).....the idea is that they are exposed to different indoor/outdoor allergies.

When someone develops allergies, the genetic predisposition is already there. But there are many factors which would suddenly lead to someone becoming allergic....but they aren't really sure what all is involved.

I've known people to develop food sensitivities/allergies (not sure which) after a major illness or after being exposed to high levels of pollution. Also, I think I read somewhere that people sometimes become allergic after a move (<=maybe this was in AL magazine...can't remember!).....the idea is that they are exposed to different indoor/outdoor allergies.

Lisa - The allergist told me that I was highly allergic to cats (we have two cats). The previous person who lived in our house had a cat, and my allergies developed the summer after moving here (2 weeks after my first son was born in Oct 2002). We've always wondered if I am allergic to his cat. We are in the process of changing all of our carpeting to laminate flooring; hopefully that will help. (Who knows what lives in the carpet? Yech. I despise carpeting.) Our cats are our babies (with us since before the kids), so I'm finding it very difficult thinking that I may have to give them away. I laughed when the allergist said to bathe them (they will NOT tolerate being bathed, LOL - visualize a feisty cat being held at arms' length).

Why I suddenly became anaphylaxic to milk, I have no idea. Neither my mother nor father had any milk reactions and I don't know of any other family members who had any either. Maybe I'll find out more when I see the allergist on the first of May. I hope that he can give me some much-needed insight.

2) stress can send the immune system into "allergic mode"---sometimes people develop allergies after a death in the family, an accident, etc.

Sorry for the double post...

I was very pregnant with my first son when we were out looking at places to buy. The stress of having to find a place to move in to, the stress of moving, and the stress of being pregnant could fit this description...

I was very pregnant with my first son when we were out looking at places to buy. The stress of having to find a place to move in to, the stress of moving, and the stress of being pregnant could fit this description...

Sounds like you were going through major life changes at that time. the allergy might not be a coincidence....but who knows. I'm pretty sure I also read somewhere that hormonal changes...such as those accompanying pregnancy...can trigger allergies!

Giving up pets would be tough. I wasn't able to have any furry pets, but on two occasions I did take care of stray cats for awhile (they stayed outdoors, however, and just kind of hung around our house from where the food would emerge). I always thought of myself as more of a dog person (although very allergic) but I sure got attached to those cats. I didn't think I was allergic to cats, but like you, I am quite allergic according to the allergy test.

Lactose may be milk sugar, not protein, but it still will have milk proteins in it since it is really impossible to seperate them from the sugar. I have such bad reactions to milk I can't even take most allergy medicines. I can't even be in the same house as someone cooking milk products. I developed my allergy in my early twenties, but I always had milk problems with milk before that. It just didn't get serious until I hit my twenties. Watch all inactive ingredients in medications. Most medicines contains lactose which is sprayed on the pills to make them less water soluable. Zyrtec and singulair contain milk, so does Advair. A lot of medicines do. It's important to tell all doctors and dentists who treat you that you are ana to milk and can't have any medicines with milk in it.

_________________2 year old son: allergic to milk--waiting to introduce other allergens

I found out 5 weeks ago I cant have regulare milk and I cant have cream in my coffee any more. I cant have sour cream and whip cream. But I can have soy milk.My tounge swells up and I get blotchy and my chest gets tight. I am going to meet my new alergist docter for the first time this friday at 12.15 my appt is going to be 2 hours long.

Not all the variations of Singulair have milk in them - my son takes the 4 mg pill and it doesn't contain milk. (There was another thread about this, but I can't find it right now!)

If you are avoiding this med for that reason alone, ask if you could take one of the dairy-free versions.

You could also find a compounding pharmacy and ask them if they are able to put together the meds that you need. These are special pharmacies that compound the meds "from the ground up" (as I understand it) without adding many of the allergens that cause people problems.

I have a message in to the Canadian Pharmacists Association to see if they have a list of their compounding pharmacies across Canada, but perhaps looking in your phonebook would do the trick as well.

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